


A Promising Afternoon

by KimmyThain (KrystieT)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-14 14:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21017327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystieT/pseuds/KimmyThain
Summary: Written for the Two Sides Fanzine---While she’d seen this same view from the screens while monitoring the boy beside her, and even saw it in the form of memories as she was helping create his false life, it was entirely different being able to actually experience it herself.





	A Promising Afternoon

“Don’t worry, I got you,” Roxas reassured gently, right hand leading Namine carefully to the edge. Namine, who had looked at the tower ledge with unease, looked at Roxas’s smile and relaxed immediately.

They carefully sat at the edge of the large clocktower overseeing Twilight Town.

Her nerves now properly quelled, she was able to properly take in the scenery.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said in awe, taking in what lay before her. The orange glow of the everlasting sunset softly illuminated the town below and the trees off in the distance.

While she’d seen this same view from the screens while monitoring the boy beside her, and even saw it in the form of memories as she was helping create his false life, it was entirely different being able to actually experience it herself.

Namine felt him gently nudge her elbow, and when she looked over in that direction, she found Roxas had two sea salt ice creams, one in each hand.

“Surprise!” he smiled brightly as he handed her an ice cream. She couldn't help but giggle at his earnestness about ice cream.

“Thank you,” she said, holding on to the popsicle stick. She stared at the ice cream in her hand blankly for a moment. She must have been out of it a bit too long, because Roxas called out to her.

“Are you okay, Namine?” he asked a little worried. “Um… do you not like sea salt ice cream?” She saw him struggle with the idea that she may not like his favorite flavor of ice cream and giggled.

“No, sorry! I just… have never tried ice cream before?” she answered sheepishly. Roxas’s ice cream almost slipped out of his hand before he caught himself.

“Woah, never?!” he asked in surprise. Namine just shook her head, smiling a bit at his reaction.

“Then you’ve really got to try it!” He ate a bit to make his point, and she followed his example.

“Oh!” her eyes widened a fraction. It was cold, and tasted salty, yet sweet. It’s not that she was expecting any different, but was also unsure of how exactly it would taste like. 

“Do you like it?” Roxas asked in anticipation, staring at her intently. She nodded back happily.

“I really do! I knew you must have loved sea salt ice cream for a reason.”

They both finished their ice creams in peace, talking a bit about what antics their friends had got them into, and transitioning to a “normal” life.

“Do you see anything on your popsicle stick?” Roxas asked, while turning his over.

Namine hummed and took a look, but there was no “winner” printed on her stick either. She shook her head a him, but he didn’t seem disappointed. Instead, he laughed a bit.

“Yeah, I didn’t get one, either. Those are super rare, actually! I think I only got one _ once _ in the whole time I’d been eating these.” He looked fondly at his popsicle stick before continuing. “I was saving it so that I could give it to Axel, and then I waited so that I could get one for Xion, too. Things got really… complicated before I could find another one.” She looked at his eyes, faintly shadowed by the effects of those dark days.

“You still left it for him,” she said in comfort, unconsciously leaning in towards him. The faint memory playing in her head, and she itched for a notebook and crayons that were not there. “Your bond of friendship with Axel was so strong that even in that situation, you still left a reminder of it for him.” There was a pause, and she felt his eyes on her. It wasn’t until she looked at him to realize that she may have said too much.

She immediately moved away, not wanting to intrude further.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she turned around. She could see understanding and sorrow and curiosity in his eyes.

“Actually, I was hoping we could… talk about it,” Roxas looked like he was struggling with his words. “I mean, I saw… I mean _ noticed _ that you kinda became… distant? No not that…” He looked down at the town below him, his hands squeezing the stone tightly.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he turned towards her and looked her with seriousness in his eyes.

“I haven’t seen you touch a notebook, crayons, papers, even pencils since we came back,” he started. “And you also have these times where you just… fade into the background. I was worried.”

Namine involuntarily gasped. She was still getting used to people worrying for her; _ caring _ for her. But then her lips curled into a smile.

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I’m your friend, Namine,” Roxas said earnestly. “Friends are supposed to worry about each other, right?” She nodded in response. “So, can you tell me? Why you’re holding yourself back?”

Namine grabbed the elbow of the arm still holding the popsicle stick, eyes unseeing towards the ground. A silence set between them for a time.

“My powers have caused so much hurt,” she answered finally. She couldn’t hide this from Roxas- he was always more perceptive than he was aware of. And he knew he valued truth, no matter how much it could hurt. “If it weren’t for me,” she continued, “Sora wouldn’t have been forgotten by everyone. It took me almost a _ year _ to undo the harm of chaining his memories. And I was too late to help Xion. And I had to use my powers to hurt _ you._”

“It’s hard,” she revealed at last. “For so long, I thought I knew what I was. A memory witch, with power over the memories of Sora, and those close to him. Even if I’m not manipulating the memories, there’s so much power to _ knowing. _ I don’t want my powers to hurt anyone _ ever _again.” She sighed, defeated.

“I’ve caused hurt too,” Roxas said softly next to her, making her face him once more. His eyes burned of understanding. “I hurt Axel. I hurt Xion. I forgot my best friends. _ I _ was why Kingdom Hearts was almost complete before Sora woke up. _ Most _ of those hearts to create it were because of _ me _. Namine, we’ve both done terrible things, even if we didn’t mean to. Anything we did, it was because someone else wanted us to. Xemnas or DiZ, darkness or light- none of it mattered. Not until now.”

“We aren’t _ Nobodies _ anymore, Namine,” he finished firmly. “We aren’t _ tools _ to be used anymore. We are _ our own people _.”

Namine was grateful Roxas understood her and her fears so well, but being so conditioned into believing herself to be only useful for her powers, and being a cursed existence to begin with as a Nobody, was hard to let go. Though she might have logically known that Roxas is right, that she isn't that person any more, that _ they _ aren't the same as they once was, it was going to take time to fully sink in. The only thing she could give him was a sad smile and a “thank you.”

Roxas decided not to push it. He just gave a nod and offered to take her popsicle stick for her, setting them aside somewhere behind them. They sat in silence for a while, watching as the train journeyed on in its tracks.

“Hey Namine…” Roxas started. Namine hummed curiously and looked at him, but his eyes were set in the distance somewhere. “Remember the last time we were here? In this data Twilight Town?”

She looked down, but Roxas just smiled reassuringly.

“You made me a promise, that when we met each other again, we'd talk about everything,” he continued. “We did meet again, even if it wasn’t how we thought we would. And then, by that point, I already understood everything, as we knew it at least. But... I’d still really like to talk about everything with you, now that we are people and know more about who we are.” 

“What about Axel and Xion?” she asked with surprise. Roxas rubbed the back of his head and gave a small laugh.

“Of course we talked about it! But Namine… I just really want to know you,” he replied shyly. “I mean, I know a _ lot _ about Axel and Xion. They are my best friends! But Namine, I feel like we are really similar in a lot of ways, but I barely got to know _ you _. That’s why I...” his eyes widened as he realized that could be taken as a breach in privacy. “Ah, but only if you want to!” he reassured, leaning away with his arms up in surrender. She simply giggled.

“I… I think I would like that,” she answered quietly. “Is that why we came to the virtual Twilight Town, instead of in the real one?”

“Yeah,” he laughed nervously. “I thought maybe you’d prefer some place quieter. It can get really busy otherwise.”

“Thank you, Roxas,” she said, taking one of her hands into his.

They spent the rest of their time in the undisturbed datascape, exchanging the happiness and hurt of all that transpired around them until they finally got to become their own persons.

And at the end of the day, when they both wished each other good night, Namine felt lighter than she ever had before.


End file.
